points of view

[emylno.livejournal.com]

Hello there! I'm still working my way through the marlow books, but one thing that I really like so far are the bits when the narrative switches from Nicola's point of view to one of the others in the family.

I find it fascinating to see the family ins-and-outs from the different perspectives, it seems to become so much more three-dimensional, and I only wish Antonia Forest did it more. I like Nick a lot, but I sometimes find her limiting, and often wish I knew the true dynamics and what was really going on at the 'top' of the family, between the boys, and between the 'middles' like Ginty and Ann.

Obviously I still have some reading to do, but I think so far (in the first 4 books) I've come across the p.o.v's of nicola (obviously) and Lawrie, Peter, Ginty, and a bit of Patrick and a Teensy bit of Karen, but still no Giles, Rowan, or Ann. So I'm just curious as to whether we ever get to see through their eyes too?
(I don't mind spoilers a bit, so no worries about that!)

Comments

[emylno.livejournal.com]

That's an interesting idea, I wonder why she changed her mind?

[richenda.livejournal.com]

She says that the theme for Traitor arose out of reading about Nuremburg, and she thought that she might as well use the younger Marlows.
Ditto for F L. She wanted to write a pony book, publishers said "another animal". She thought about the Marlows and falconry on the Heath, decided that wouldnt do, and moved them to Trennels.
Peter's Room came from getting intersted in the Brontes and then seeing an outbuilding that a boy had taken over.
So the pov idea dropped early.
Oh and I was fascinated that the Thuggery language isnt meant to be any particular dated slang but a specifically made up language. I suppose that eggery peggery must have been invented in the same way.

[colne-dsr.livejournal.com]

Anthony Buckeridge did much the same with Jennings. He tried to make it up, to avoid dating it to a particular time. (It doesn't work for me, "Fossilised Fishhooks" sounds totally 1950's even if it shouldn't do. And The Thuggery always come across to me as early 1970's, which is odd since the book was published in 1965, but maybe it's because I was too young to take much notice in the 60's.)

[richenda.livejournal.com]

"Fossilised Fishhooks" sounds totally 1950's even if it shouldn't do. And The Thuggery always come across to me as early 1970's, which is odd since the book was published in 1965, but maybe it's because I was too young to take much notice in the 60's.)

It seems late 50s and early 60s to me - just about the time that the cinema stopped being family entertainment because television was taking over.
As for invented languages - havent the ypung always done that? i was just interested that she wasn't trying to reproduce anything but making it up.